Starter for internal-combustion engines.



D. W. ANDERSON.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.28, 1911.

1,061,716. Patented my 13,1913.

INVENTORL David W Anderson 6 5 I ATTORNEY.

DAVID W. ANDERSON,

OF LA FAYETTE,

INDIANA.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 191 3.

Application filed December 28, 1911. Serial No. 668,334.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID W. ANDERSON, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of La Fayette, county ofTippecanoe, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain useful Starterfor Internal-Combustion En- 'ines; and I do hereby declare that the fol-Towing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beingbad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a valve mechanism forselectively regulating the passage of compressed air to the cylinders ofan engine for starting the same, which valve mechanism is so constructedand arranged and associated with the adjacent parts thereof that therewill be no appreci able friction or wear resulting from the movementthereof, even when the construction is such that the valve is actuatedall of the time during which the engine runs.

The chief feature of the invention whereby said objeet is attained,consists in pro viding the parts of the Valve so that they will normallyrun free and with slight frictional engagement with the associatedparts, but will be moved up against the associated parts when thecompressed air is admitted to the chamber in which the valveconstruction is mounted. When this occurs, the air forces the parts ofthe valve into a snug fit with the associated parts of the device so asto.

prevent leakage of air, but as soon' as the compressed air is turnedoff, the parts of the valve can assume the non-frictional posi tions sothat even if they are continuously operated While the engine runs, theywill not wear materially.

In addition to utilizing compressed air for the purpose of holding themoving parts of the valve construction against adjacent parts of themechanism, the selective valve may be slightly magnetized so thatmagnetism will hold it against the adjacent part containing the partscommunicating with the engine cylinders, in such manner that the valvewill be held in place from longi tudinal movement away from its seat,but permitted to have ready rotary movement without any appreciablefriction or wear. Also in addition to the foregoing a weak spring isprovided herein for assisting in seating the parts of the valveconstruction. However, the magnetism of the selective valve and the weakspring referred to are not necessary in all constructions, the COITI'pressed air su'llicing to seat the parts of the valve structure when thecompressed air is turned into the chamber containing the valvestructure.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanyingdrawings and the following description and claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of thechassis of an automobile and of the engine mounted in connectiontherewith, and of a compressed air starting device for the engine, partsbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the valve construrtion and associated parts, parts being brokenaway and parts of the valve being shown in their idle position. Fig. 3is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is anelevation of the selective valve in position.

There are shown in the drawings, for the purpose ol illustrating themounting and general relationship o'l' my invention to the other devicein connection with which it may be used, a portion of the chassis 10 ofan automobile with a dash "ll, a radiator 12, and a fan'shaped wheel -1.There is also shown a six cylinder engine '15 with a crank case to. Alsothere is shown a compressed air tank 17 secured to the underside of thechassis, but the means for compressing the air therein is not shown.

The engine has the usual cam shaft 20 which is driven by the crankshaft, not

shown, and at the end of the cam shaft the valve mechanism to which thisinvention relates, is mounted. lt is in'nnaterial, however, whether thevalve mechanism be actuated by the cam shaft 20 or any other moving partof the engine. A pipe 22 leads from the compressed air tank 17 to thevalve nmchnnism 21. In said pipe 22 there is a suitable cut oil valve 23in the nature of a lift valve, which is controlled by the operatortin-(nigh any suitable means such as a lever Q-t mounted in connectionwith the dash 11. and operating through a connection 25 with the valve23. This valve 23 and the means for operating it constitute no part ofthis invention as any other suitable means may be employed for turningon or oil the compressed air through the pipe 22.

The valve mechanism, which is brought out more clearly in l ig. 2, has amember 30 containing ports and passageways 31 in comnumicalion with thetubes 32 which lead to the various engine cylinders. In each tube 32there is a suitable check valve 33. The member 30, justreferred to, issecured by bolts 34 to the crank case 16. Those bolts also pass throughflanges fro-m the valve case 35 which has a chamber into whichcompressed air enters through the tube 22. Said valve case 35 may alsoform a bearing for the end of the cam shaft 20.

Viithin the valve case there is a disk-like selective valve 40 whichengages the bosses 41 surrounding the ports 31 in the face of the member30 which projects into said valve case and in which the ports 31 arelocated, and closes said ports excepting as the port 42, through thevalve 40, comes into registry successively with the ports 31 incommunication with the engine cylinders. The valve case is peripherallyrecessed to furnish space for some longitudinal movement or play of thevalve 40, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that said valve 40 can move out ofengagement with the bosses 41 surrounding the ports 31. The selectivevalve 40 is rotated by the cam shaft 20 through an intermediate separateshaft 43 on which the valve 40 is loosely mounted. Said shaft 43 has areduced portion at one end having bearing in the member 30, as shown inFig. 2. At the other end of said shaft there is a flattened portion 143which projects loosely into a rectangular recess 44 centrally located inthe end of the cam shaft 20. Said mounting of the shaft 43, therefore,is such that it can have some longitudinal movement. It has an enlargedportion 243 and also a port-ion 343 between the enlarged portion and thereduced end, said part 343 being smaller than the enlarged portion 243and may be larger than the reduced portion of the shaft 43, but does nothave to be.

The selective valve 40 is mounted on the portion 343 of the shaft 43 andthat portion of the shaft has a pin 45 extending through itdiametrically and projecting beyond it, and the valve 40 has tworecesses 46 projecting in opposite directions beyond the central borethereof, as shown in Fig. 4 to surround and accommodate the pins 45, theconstruction being such that the valve may have movement longitudinallyof the portion 343 of the shaft 43 and yet the shaft will always impartrevoluble movement to the valve. To prevent leakage of air through thecam shaft bearing a disk 50 is secured rigidly on the shaft 43 betweenthe portions 243 and 343 of said shaft. It seats up against a bushing 51when moved to the left, as shown in Fig. 2. On the side of the seat ofthe disk 50, the shaft 43 is larger than on the other side of the disk50. The purpose of this is to give the righthand side of the disk 50, asshown in Fig. 2, more surface than there is exposed on the left-handside. Hence, when compressed air enters the valve casing, it will throwthe disk 50 to the left, that is seat it and prevent any escape of air.When the disk 50 is thrown to the left, it.moves the entire shaft 43with it, but it does not move the selective valve 40 for the compressedair forces the valve 40 in the opposite direction against the bosses 41.

It will be readily understood that, when the engine is stopped, the port42 in the Valve 40 will be in registry with one of the ports 31 leadingto the proper cylinder for starting the engine by admitting compressedair to the valve chamber. When this happens the further revolublemovement of the cam shaft and the valve 40 will bring the port 42 insaid valve into successive registry with the ports 31 and compressed airwill then pass into the proper cylinders of the engine. The compressedair will start the engine, but after the engine is underway and thecompressed air turned off, the pressure will be equalized upon theopposite sides of the valve 40 and disk 50 and,-therefore, they willride comparatively free of their adjacent stationary parts, althoughcontinuously rotated by the cam shaft as long as the engine operates.This will reduce to a minimum the frictionand wear' for causing thevalve 40 and the disk 50 tov hug the seats. One of said means, which hasheretofore been employed by me, is to magnetize the selective valve 40not to a great degree, and thereby it will hug the bosses 41. Themagnetic condition of the valve 40 will not tend to prevent its readyrevolubility to any extent, although it will tend to prevent the valvefrom having longitudinal movement away from the bosses 41. Therefore,its magnetic would hold said valve seated lightly all of the time andyet there would be very sli ht friction to the revolution of the valve.The other means for seating said valve consists condition of a spring 60surrounding the part 343 of p 43 and of a greater diameter than thelength of the slot 46 through the valve 40. Said bosses 4:1 and 62project inwardly an equal amount and, therefore, the boss 62 willprevent a discharge of air through the slot 46 when the valve 40 ispressed against the bosses 4:1 and 62.

WVhile compressed air is referred to herein, of course, the inventionrefers to compressed gas of any kind and, therefore, the word fluid isused in the claim to cover air and other gas.

I claim as my invention:

A starter for an internal combustion engine including a fluiddistributing member having a supply port and discharge ports, a slottedvalve mounted within said member for governing said discharge ports, avalve shaft slidabl mounted in said member on which said valve isslidably mounted so as to be longitudinally movable thereon, a bearingfor said shaft, a disk on said shaft adapted to engage said bearing toprevent leakage around the shaft, a spring around said shaft between thevalve and disk pressing against the valve and disk, and a driving shaftwith its ends slidably coupled with said valve shaft for driving thesame.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

DAVID W. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

J. HAZEL WELLS, O. M. MCLAUGHLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

